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FAQs MARKET EGYPT

Textiles, Apparel, Footwear, and Travel Goods The following information is provided only as a guide and should be confirmed with the appropriate overseas market authorities before embarking on any export activities.

For most imports, tariff is assessed on an ad valorem basis applied to the c.i.f. (cost, insurance, freight) value.

For more information on Egypt’s tariff rates, see OTEXA’s Foreign Market Reports page.

See additional customs and import regulation information in the Country Commercial Guide for Egypt

The Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry (MFTI) regulation, Decree No. 961/2012 requires that textile and leather products imported into Egypt obtain a Certificate of Inspection. Two options for obtaining certification:  

  • Option 1 – Inspection per Consignment—Every consignment must be physically inspected before shipment at the origin by an approved third-party inspection company.
  • Option 2 – Registration with GOEIC (General Organization for Export and Import Control)—Importers may register with GOEIC and shipments will be subject to random inspection.

A Certificate of Inspection is required for:

  • Apparel and accessories
  • Home textiles
  • Carpet and floor coverings
  • Shoes
  • Leather bags (including artificial leather)

MFTI Decree No. 682 confines customs release of textiles and apparel imports to four specific ports— the Port of Alexandria, Port Said Port, El-Sokhna Port, and Cairo Airport.

Imported cotton is subject to fumigation in both the country of origin and in  Egypt.

For information on local customs requirements and documentation, see:

For information on import documentation and other requirements for both the U.S. exporter and foreign importer, see the Customs, Regulations & Standards page of the Country Commercial Guide for Egypt.

Finished goods imported for distribution and sale in Egypt must be labeled in Arabic with the country of origin, the manufacturer’s name and the product description.

According to EG STDS 7266 – Safety and health criteria and labelling for textile products, labeling instructions for apparel imported into the Egyptian market for retail sale follows:

Labels on external packing (printed, stuck, or otherwise fixed):

  • Manufacturer name/ Importer name/ Registered Trade Mark
  • Product name
  • Item and Number of pieces
  • Country of origin
  • Net weight
  • Gross weight

Product label & hangtag:

  • Fiber content
  • Country of origin
  • Product name / Importer name / Registered Trade Mark

Care instruction – According to ES 1405/2014 Care Labelling Code Using Symbols, textile products should have a care label.  The standard provides for the use of care symbols based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 3758:2012 “Textile – Care Labelling Code Using Symbols”.

Under the Egyptian standards ES 3571/2006 – Footwear and its parts; EMS 3572/2006 – Footwear and its parts (sports shoes); and ES 6535/2008 – General Requirements of Manufactured Leather labeling requirements include:

  • Product name and the trademark
  • Contents
  • Size
  • Country of origin 

For an overview of the different labeling and marking requirements, including any restrictive advertising or labeling practices and where to get more information, see the Labeling/Marking Requirements page on the Country Commercial Guide for Egypt.

Explore key resources and events, contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Egypt.

Visit OTEXA’s Grow America webpage. 

For more information on exporting textiles, apparel, footwear, and travel goods, go to the Additional Market Information Page on the OTEXA Website.

 

 

Manufacturers and trademark owners of certain products shipped to Egypt must register with the Egyptian Ministry of Industry and Trade (MFTI). Under decree 43/2016, listed products will only be allowed entry into the Egyptian market if they are registered by the owner of the manufacturing facility or the legal holder of the trademark in advance. Subject products include: textile fabric, clothing, carpets and rugs, blankets and other home furnishings, and footwear.  For a copy of the decree, a list of impacted products, and example documents, see the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN report 2019.

The product manufacturer, trademark owner, or their legal representative may submit the application for registration in person or online on the General Authority of Export and Import Control (GOEIC) website. US exporters are encouraged to apply in person, through a local representative, if necessary, to ensure proper submission of the required documentation.

Textile products are subject to the mandatory Egyptian Standard No. 7266/2011– Safety and health criteria and labelling for textile products.  This standard includes requirements on control of restricted hazardous chemicals and product labeling.  The standard includes the following 5 sections:

  • EG STDS 7266-1 Dyeing yarns
  • EG STDS 7266-2 Dyeing, printing or finishing fabric
  • EG STDS 7266-3 Apparel and home textile
  • EG STDS 7266-4 Garments
  • EG STDS 7266-5 Carpets and rugs

Control of Restricted Hazardous Chemicals— The substances listed below are subject to restrictions and is applicable to infant and children (up to age 12) products, direct skin contact products, and indirect skin contact products:

  • Carcinogenic dyes
  • Azo dyes
  • Brominated flame retardants (PBB, TRIS, TEPA)
  • Formaldehyde
  • Phthalates
  • Cadmium
  • Nickel release
  • Lead

The following standards apply to footwear and include physical property requirements, as well as criteria for pH value and PCP:

  • ES 3571/2006 – Footwear and its parts is applicable general footwear, including slippers, sandals, sabot etc. which are made of natural leather, synthetic leather, textiles or a mixture of them and have the sole made of any material.
  • EMS 3572/2006 – Footwear and its parts (sports shoes) is applicable sport shoes made of natural leather or artificial alternatives or textiles with any kind of soles. 

Egyptian standard of ES 6535/2008 – General Requirements of Manufactured Leather includes physical property requirements, as well as criteria for pH and PCP.  Labeling requirements are also included.

Egyptian standard ES 7322/2011 – Safety & Health Criteria for Leather Products and Its Parts includes the testing requirements applicable to natural leather, artificial leather, textile and metal part contents in the following areas: 

  • Formaldehyde
  • Azo Dyes
  • Phthalates
  • Cadmium
  • Nickel release
  • Soluble heavy metal
  • Chromium VI
  • PCP
  • Monomer of PVC (VCM)

Some additional Egyptian standards include the following:

  • White Lint (ESS 120/2005)
  • Cotton Cloth (raw) (ESS 278/2005)
  • Cotton Cloth (raw white) (ESS 278/2005)
  • Cotton textiles (raw), open-ended weaving method used (ESS 2209/2005)
  • Cotton textiles (white), open-ended weaving method used (ESS 2211/2005)
  • Technical Conditions for Cloth (ESS 3657/2005)
  • Technical Conditions for ready-made clothes (ESS 3658/2005)
  • Technical Conditions for woven textiles (ESS 3804/2005)
  • Medical Cotton (ESS 113/2005)
  • Medical Dressings (ESS 114/2005)
  • Medical Gauze (ESS 4754/2005)
  • Cotton Gauze Dressing (ESS 4757/2005)
  • Health and environmental specification of textiles (ECO-TEX 100) (ESS 3786/2002)
  • Health and environmental specification of textiles (ECO-TEX 200) (ESS 3786/2003)

For more information on standards see the Egyptian Organization for Standards and Quality – EOS website. 

For more information on Egypt’s national standards, accreditation bodies, national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies, see the Trade Standards page of the Country Commercial Guide for Egypt.

In 1996, the U.S. Congress established the Qualifying Industrial Zone (QIZ) initiative to support the peace process in the Middle East.  The QIZ initiative allows Egypt and Jordan to export products to the United States duty-free if these products contain inputs from Israel.  The QIZ legislation authorizes the President to proclaim elimination of duties on articles produced in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and qualifying industrial zones in Jordan and Egypt.  To obtain duty-free access to the U.S. market under the initiative, the goods must be produced in designated QIZ factories and meet specific rules of origin requirements.  See the section on QIZs for more information.

Click here to download report https://otexa.trade.gov/overseas_mkts/Egypt.pdf.  

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